A cab driver who locked his cab doors to prevent a suicide bomber from getting out on Remembrance Sunday and survived the subsequent blast has been hailed a hero.
As the U.K. was about to hold a two-minute’s silence to remember those who lost their lives fighting for their country, David Perry was driving a customer to Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
The 45-year-old cab driver became suspicious of the man in his cab and reportedly locked the cab doors to prevent him from getting out.
Dramatic footage of the incident shows the moment Perry pulls up outside the hospital just before 11 a.m. and the bomb being detonated forcing the offender through the windshield. Seconds later Perry is seen getting out of his taxi and running from the fiery blast.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed Perry a hero for stopping “an absolutely awful disaster” as he saluted his “incredible presence of mind and bravery”.
Britain raised its terrorism threat level to severe after police classed the explosion as a terrorist attack. Bomb-making materials for an improvised explosive device were found at an address sealed off by officers on Sunday, as per the Evening Standard.
Perry’s wife Rachel posted on Facebook about the incident saying her husband was “lucky to be alive”.
“The explosion happened whilst he was in the car and how he managed to escape is an utter miracle,” she added.
The father-of-two was injured in the blast and later released from hospital.
Rachel added: “I would just like to thank each and every one of you who have messaged asking how David is. He is doing ok but is extremely sore and just trying to process what’s happened.”
The Prime Minister said: “This is an ongoing investigation so I can’t comment on the details or exactly what type of incident it was, what type of crime it may have been. But it does look as though the taxi driver in question did behave with incredible presence of mind and bravery.”
Liverpool’s Mayor Joanne Anderson added that Perry “in his heroic effort has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster at the hospital. Our thanks go to him.”
Friends also paid tribute. One said: “The man asked to go to the city center. But when they were going past the Women’s Hospital he said to pull in there. It was just before 11. David noticed the man had some kind of light attached to his clothing and was messing around with it. It didn’t look right at all. If this guy got in the hospital God knows what could have happened. David’s the luckiest man in Britain as well as the most heroic,” as per the Evening Standard.
Another friend added: “David suffered cuts and bruises, a perforated ear drum and needed stitches in his ear. He’ll be sore in the morning but he’s home. I’m just glad no new babies were leaving at the time. For David to have probably been terrified and think so fast and then end up okay – it’s amazing.”
A GoFundMe to help David with his recovery has raised more than $50,000 so far.
The man carrying the homemade bomb who died in the explosion has been named as 32-year-old Emad Al Swealmeen. It is understood he was an asylum seeker from Iraq who converted to Christianity in 2017, as per BBC News Online.
Four men were arrested under the Terrorism Act but have since been released from police custody without charge.
The bravery of this taxi driver is something that should be honored; he risked his life that day. Had the suspect managed to enter the hospital the situation could have been devastating.
Help us honor this incredible human being by sharing this story.
